Page:The Biographical Dictionary of America, vol. 02.djvu/186

 CHAPIN.

CHAPLIN.

CHAPIN, John Henry, clergyman, was born in Leavenworth, Ind., Dec. 31, 1832. In 1873 he was installed pastor of the First Universalist church at Meriden, Conn., and remained in this position until 1885, when he resigned to make a tour of the world. In 1888 he was elected a member of the state legislature, and later took the chair of mineralogy and geology in St. Law- rence university at Canton, N. Y., which he held for many years. Shortly before his death he was admitted as a partner into the firm of G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York city. He was an active member of the American association for the advancement of science. He died at Nor- walk. Conn., March 14, 1893.

CHAPIN, Stephen, clergjanan, was born in Milford, Mass., Nov. 4, 1778. He was graduated at Harvard college in 1804, and in the following year was ordained to the Congregational minis- try. In 1819 he became a Baptist minister, and settled at North Yarmouth, Me., where he preached until 1822, resigning in that year to accept the chair of theology at Waterville col- lege, Me. From 1828 to 1841 he was president of the Colmnbian college at Washington, D. C. In 1822 Brown university conferred upon him the degree of S.T.D. Among his published sermons are notable, Letters on the mode and subjects of Baptism ; Tlie Ditty of Living for the good of Posterity. He died Oct. 1, 184.").

CHAPLIN, Jane Dunbar, author, was born in Scotland, Feb. 11, 1819; daughter of Duncan and Christine (Fletcher) Dunbar. She accompanied her parents to the United States in 1821, and was brought up and educated in New York city, where her father was a Baptist clergyman. In 1841 she married Dr. Chaplin, and in conjunction with him wrote a life of Charles Sumner. She contributed largely to religious periodicals and wrote many volumes for juveniles, notably: The Convent and the Manse, The Old Gentleman and his Friends, Gems of the Bog, Oat of the Wilderness. Donald McBride's Lassie, 3Iorning Gloom, Black and White, TJie Transplanted Shamrock, Wee Maggie Forsythe, The House- Top Saint. She died in Boston, Mass., April 17, 1884.

CHAPLIN, Jeremiah, educator, was born in Rowley, Mass., Jan. 2, 1776. He prepared for college while laboring on his father's farm, and was graduated at Brown university in 1799. He was tutor in that institution dviring 1800, and then pursued a theological course, and in 1802 accepted the pastorate of the Baptist church in Danvers, Mass., which he held until 1817, when he became principal of the Baptist literary and theological seminary at Waterville, Me. In 1820 this institution (now Colby university) was char- tered as Waterville college, and Dr. Chajilin be-

came its first president ; in 1833 he resigned the office and resumed his clerical occupation. He served the church at Rowley, Mass., Wilmington, Conn., and later at Hamilton, N. Y. He pub- lished a volume entitled The Evening of Life, of which new editions were issued in 1865 and in 1871. He died at Hamilton, N. Y., May 7, 1841.

CHAPLIN, Jeremiah, author, was born in Danvers, Mass., in 1813; son of Jeremiah Chaplin, first jjresident of Waterville college. He was graduated at Waterville college in 1828. He held the chair of Greek and Latin in Hampton literary and theological institute, N. H., 1834— '37 ; was professor of Hebrew and moral science at the theological seminary, Winnsboro, S. C, 1839-'41. He entered the Baptist ministry and held pastorates at Bangor, Me., 1841-"46; Dedham, Mass., 18.50-63; Newton Corner, Mass., 1863-"65. From 1865 to 1868 he was theological instructor of the Home missionary society. New Orleans, La. After 1868 he settled in Bcston and engaged in literary pursuits. He received the degrees of A.M. 1833, and D.D. in 1857 from Colby univer- sity. His Life of Henry Dunster, First President of Harvard College, is considered of historical value. He also published : Tlie Memorial Hour (1864) ; Riches of Bunyan, llie Hand of Jesus (1869), and lives of Charles Sumner, Benjamin Franklin, Galen, and the Rev. Duncan Dun- bar. He compiled C/i;'p.s from the White House (1881) . He died in New Utrecht, N. Y., March 5, 1886.

CHAPLIN, Winfield Scott, educator, was born in Maine, Aug. 22, 1847. He was educated in the schools of Bangor, and was graduated at West Point in 1870, second in a class of fifty- eight. He resigned his commission in 1872 to engage in railroad engineering. In 1874 he was appointed professor of mechanics in the Maine state college of agriculture and mechanic art, and in 1877, professor of civil engineering in the im- perial university at Tokio, Japan, and on resign- ing his position he was awarded the imperial order of " Meiji" of Japan, in recognition of his services. He returned to America in 1883, en- gaged in railroad engineering until September, 1884, when he was appointed professor of mathe- matics in Union college, N. Y. Here he remained until June, 1886, when he accepted the position of professor of civil engineering in Harvard uni- versity. In the following year he was appointed dean of the Lawrence scientific school, and he was for some years chairman of the parietal com- mittee of the faculty. During his deansliip the school more than quadrupled the number of its students. He was appointed chancellor of Wash- ington university, St. Louis, Mo., in 1891, and re- ceived the degree A.M. from Union and LL.D. from Harvard in 1893.